Fluorescent cooling of objects exposed to sunlight - The ruby example

Particularly in hot climates, various pigments are used to formulate desired non-white colors that stay cooler in the sun than alternatives. These cool pigments provide a high near-infrared (NIR) reflectance in the solar infrared range of 700-2500 nm, and also a color specified by a reflectance spectrum in the 400-700 nm visible range. Still cooler materials can be formulated by also utilizing the phenomenon of fluorescence (photoluminescence). Ruby, Al2O3:Cr, is a prime example, with efficient emission in the deep red (∼694 nm) and near infrared (700-800 nm). A layer of synthetic ruby crystals on a white surface having an attractive red color can remain cooler in the sun than conventional red materials. Ruby particles can also be used as a red/pink pigment. Increasing the Cr:Al ratio produces a stronger (darker) pigment but doping above ∼3 wt% Cr2O3 causes concentration quenching of the fluorescence. The system quantum efficiency for lightly doped ruby-pigmented coatings over white is high, 0.83 ± 0.10

High quantum yield of the Egyptian blue family of infrared phosphors (MCuSi4O10, M = Ca, Sr, Ba)

The alkaline earth copper tetra-silicates, blue pigments, are interesting infrared phosphors. The Ca, Sr, and Ba variants fluoresce in the near-infrared (NIR) at 909, 914, and 948 nm, respectively, with spectral widths on the order of 120 nm. The highest quantum yield Φ reported thus far is ca. 10%. We use temperature measurements in sunlight to determine this parameter. The yield depends on the pigment loading (mass per unit area) ω with values approaching 100% as ω → 0 for the Ca and Sr variants. Although maximum quantum yield occurs near ω = 0, maximum fluorescence occurs near ω = 70 g m-2, at which Φ = 0.7. The better samples show fluorescence decay times in the range of 130 to 160 μs. The absorbing impurity CuO is often present. Good phosphor performance requires long fluorescence decay times and very low levels of parasitic absorption. The strong fluorescence enhances prospects for energy applications such as cooling of sunlit surfaces (to reduce air conditioning requirements) and luminescent solar concentrators

Fluorescent cooling of objects exposed to sunlight - The ruby example

Particularly in hot climates, various pigments are used to formulate desired non-white colors that stay cooler in the sun than alternatives. These cool pigments provide a high near-infrared (NIR) reflectance in the solar infrared range of 700-2500 nm, and also a color specified by a reflectance spectrum in the 400-700 nm visible range. Still cooler materials can be formulated by also utilizing the phenomenon of fluorescence (photoluminescence). Ruby, Al2O3:Cr, is a prime example, with efficient emission in the deep red (∼694 nm) and near infrared (700-800 nm). A layer of synthetic ruby crystals on a white surface having an attractive red color can remain cooler in the sun than conventional red materials. Ruby particles can also be used as a red/pink pigment. Increasing the Cr:Al ratio produces a stronger (darker) pigment but doping above ∼3 wt% Cr2O3 causes concentration quenching of the fluorescence. The system quantum efficiency for lightly doped ruby-pigmented coatings over white is high, 0.83 ± 0.10

Single-cell mechanogenetics using monovalent magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles

Spatiotemporal interrogation of signal transduction at the single-cell level is necessary to answer a host of important biological questions. This protocol describes a nanotechnology-based single-cell and single-molecule perturbation tool, termed mechanogenetics, that enables precise spatial and mechanical control over genetically encoded cell-surface receptors in live cells. The key components of this tool are a magnetoplasmonic nanoparticle (MPN) actuator that delivers defined spatial and mechanical cues to receptors through target-specific one-to-one engagement and a micromagnetic tweezers (mu MT) that remotely controls the magnitude of force exerted on a single MPN. In our approach, a SNAP-tagged cell-surface receptor of interest is conjugated with a single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide, which hybridizes to its complementary oligonucleotide on the MPN. This protocol consists of four major stages: (i) chemical synthesis of MPNs, (ii) conjugation with DNA and purification of monovalent MPNs, (iii) modular targeting of MPNs to cell-surface receptors, and (iv) control of spatial and mechanical properties of targeted mechanosensitive receptors in live cells by adjusting the mu MT-to-MPN distance. Using benzylguanine (BG)-functionalized MPNs and model cell lines expressing either SNAP-tagged Notch or vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), we provide stepwise instructions for mechanogenetic control of receptor clustering and for mechanical receptor activation. The ability of this method to differentially control spatial and mechanical inputs to targeted receptors makes it particularly useful for interrogating the differential contributions of each individual cue to cell signaling. The entire procedure takes up to 1 week1331sciescopu